Having ditched coal in favour of wood pellets, UK power station Drax calls itself the “largest decarbonisation project in Europe”. But the idea that burning wood produces fewer emissions and is better for the climate than burning coal is increasingly being questioned. In the latest twist, a group of former City lawyers this week announced they were filing a complaint against the North Yorkshire power plant, accusing it of misleading climate claims. The issue risks being a thorn in the UK government’s side as Cop26 kicks off because it has paid out vast subsidies to support Drax’s conversion. Burning wood pellets has generally been considered “climate neutral” on the understanding that new trees capture the carbon released during the burning of older ones. But scientific opposition to this straightforward interpretation is growing.